Rating: 2/5
Review:
A period piece
We owe Alfred Deller a huge debt of gratitude for his
influence in bringing so much Renaissance music, including Tallis's
Lamentations, back into the repertoire. This
recording originally from 1968 (I think) is a case in point. Sadly though, I don't think it has aged well,
influential though it undoubtedly was.
These things are a matter of taste, of course, but for me
the Deller Consort's sound simply doesn't do justice to this fabulous
music. The balance of voices is variable
and distracting so that Tallis's wonderful textures don’t really emerge, and
the vibrato used by the singers prevents the chords and shifting harmonies from
really ringing.
There are many very fine recordings available of Tallis's
Lamentations, including wonderful interpretations by The Hilliard Ensemble, The
Tallis Scholars, The Taverner Consort and Magnificat, all of which are
different in their sound and all of which I love. Personally I would recommend any of these
rather than The Deller Consort; I am grateful for this recording's influence
and I respect it – but I don't actually like it much.
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